HARPA CIFRAS

History of the Christian Harp: The Greatest Hymnal with Worship Songs

Much more than the official hymnal of the Assembly of God church, the Christian Harp is one of the cornerstones of Christianity in our times. After all, singing uplifting songs and praise is a demonstration of faith and thanksgiving. Today, this blessed book brings together 640 hymns that are indispensable parts of services. These musical works can express devotion, gratitude and are true connections with the Creator.

The intensity of these songs is able to please even people who do not attend church. In today's text, you know a little about the history of Harp and check the numbers of some hymns. Important: more than 100 years of history. It is impossible to tell everything, in the smallest details, in one post. Throughout our conversation, we will cover some of the main excerpts from the history of the greatest hymnal with songs of worship to Jesus Christ.

What is the Christian Harp?

Harpa Cristã is the official hymnbook of the Assembly of God (AD) church, which has around 22.5 million faithful in Brazil. Founded in 1911, in Belém (PA), by Swedish-American missionaries Gunnar Vingren and Daniel Berg, the church is considered the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world. Harp was created to gather the congregational songs and facilitate the praise of God during church activities. There are hymns sung at baptisms, services, weddings, and funerals. Its content is divided into themes aimed at different types of subjects, such as:

Communion

Gospel messages

Consecration

Testimonies

Conversion

The Rise of the Christian Harp

In its beginnings, like other churches of Protestant currents, the Assembly of God used the hymnal “Psalms and Hymns”. Due to its peculiarities, the pioneers of AD understood the need to create a hymnal that encompassed Pentecostal doctrines. From this demand, the Cantor Pentecostal emerged in 1921. The publication brought together 44 hymns and 10 choruses and was distributed by the Assembly of God of Pará. Later, this book was printed by the Guajarina typography, with the editorial supervision of Almeida Sobrinho, who also edited newspapers of the denomination.

The first version of the Christian Harp

The first Christian Harp was launched in Recife, in 1922. The editorial work was led by Pastor Adriano Nobre. With a print run of a thousand copies, and 300 songs, the work was shared throughout Brazil by the Swedish missionary Samuel Nyström. In 1932, a version with 400 hymns was released. Nyström was not fluent in Portuguese. Despite language barriers, he managed to translate several lyrics from the original Scandinavian hymnody.